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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · squash · fall · wave · deal · cue · content · band

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cue — for pool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — a signal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — a hint
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a ring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the sport
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com